Rain-water filter.



PATEN'IED DEC. ll, 1906.

W. P. M'IKOLASRK.

v RAIN WATER FILTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1906.

iai

. To all whom t may concern,.-

WENOESLAUS FRANK MIKOLASEK, OF VODNANY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

RAIN-WATER FILTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed April '7, 1906. Serial No. 310,569.

@Be it known that I, WENonsLAus FRANK MIKOLAsEx, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Vodnany, in the county of Bonhomme and State ofSouth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRain-Water Filters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements infiltering devices, and is particularly applicable for use in lteringrain-water preparatory to its reception in cisterns or otherstorage-receptacles.

The object of my invention is to provide a lter of this character whichwill embody few and simple parts capable of being easily and cheaplyconstructed and embodying several superposed strata of filteringmaterials, through which the water will percolate in an upwarddirection, being finally discharged from the upper end of thefilter-casing, the casing being provided with a hinged cut-off or platesso arranged that they may be swung up whenever desired against `thescreen supporting the lowermost stratum of a filtering i medium to cutoff the filter portion of the casing from the lower receiving portionthereof, so as to permit the lower end of the casing to be flushedwhenever desired by shunting the water directly through the casingwithout going through the filtering media.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof, and alsoto acquire a, knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalsection of my improved rain-water filter. Fig. 2 is a similar view, thesection being taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view,on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the casing and one of the cut-offplates.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the casing of myimproved filter, which may be constructed of tin or galvanized iron orany other desired light sheet metal. It is provided with a plurality ofscreens 2, arranged in superposed and spaced relation to each otherwithin the casing and supporting different kinds of filtering materials,arranged in layers or strata, preferably the lowest consisting ofgravel, the next above of sand, and the next above of charcoal.

The screens 2 may be supported within the casing 1 in any desiredmanner. The lower end of the casing 1 is preferably tapered incrosssection, as shown in the drawings, and is provided at one side ofits lower ltapered edge with a water-inlet 3, leading from the pipe 4l,which may be the pipe leading from the roof of a building or the like,the casing 1 being preferably supported in any desired manner againstthe wall of the building.

5 designates two cut-off plates, which are hinged to the side walls ofthe casing 1, near the lower end thereof, and are normally pressed uponby a spring 6, so that they will lie fiat against the stationaryconverging side walls of the casing, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Cables orthe like 7 are secured to the respective plates 5 intermediate theirends and are arranged to draw the two plates 5upwardly and to hold themup against the lowermost screens 2. The plates 5 are of such length thatwhen thus drawn up they will overlap each other and effectually cut offthe filtering portion of the filter-casing 1 from that portion thereofwhich is below the lowermost screen 2.

8 designates the draw-off cock for the filtering portion of the casing1, located atene lowercorner of said portion, and 9 designates y aflushing-opening provided with any desired form of closure or valve.

10 designates the dischargepipe, the receiving end of which is locatedwithin the casing just above the uppermost screen 2. The pipe 10 extendsin an angular direction out of the casing 1 and is connected to thecistern or other storage receptacle, (not shown) and, if desired, thepipe10 may have a branch 10a, governed at its juncture with the mainpipe 10 by a valve 11, so that the filtered water may be drawn away fromthe cistern, if desired, and be directed to any other desired point.

In the practical operation of my improved filter the rain-water comingin the pipe 4 will first enter the casing at the lower end thereof, andif the plates 5 are in their open or down positions and the fiushopening9 closed the water will percolate up through the various screens 2 andthrough the filtering materials and after having been effectivelyfiltered will enter the pipe 10 and through it to the cistern or otherdesired points. Whenever desired, the plates 5 may be drawn up IOO IIO

into overlapped positions, cutting H the iiltering-screens and theiriiltering material 'from the lower portion of the casing 1, and then byopening the flush-opening 9 the water entering from the pipe 4 willmerely ush the lower portion of the casing 1 of the impurities that havebeen gathered therein during the 'filtering operation and will carrysuch impurities oil through the Hush-opening 9, the water beingprevented by the plates 5 from entering the liltering portion of theiilter. The draw-oil cock 8 is provided, so that the water in theiiltering portion of the casing 1 may be drawn oii Whenever desired. Inthe liltering operation it is of course to be understood that this cockS is closed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Aiilter comprising a casing, iiltering means in said casing, means foradmitting water to the lower end of the casing to permit it to percolateupwardly through the filtering means, the said casing being provided atits lower end with a ilush-opening and a closure therefor, adiscliarge-pipe for the iiltered water, and spring-pressed plates hingedto the casing near the lower end thereof, and means for drawing saidplates upwardly against one side of the iiltering means whereby to cutoil? the latter from the water-inlet.

2. A iilter, comprising a casing, AIiltering means in said casing, twohinged plates, designed to overlap in the casing across one side of theiiltering means whereby to cut off the same from the remainder of thecasing, and means 'for admitting water into the lastnamed portion of thecasing.

3. A iilter, comprising a casing, a plurality of screens arranged insuperposed and spaced relation in said casing, filtering media supportedon said screens, the casing being pro- A vided with a water-admissionopening below the lowermost screen and with a dischargepipe with itsreceiving end above the uppermost screen, the casing being furtherprovided with a flush-opening and a closure therefor, two hinged platesspring-pressed in said casing, and means for drawing said platesupwardly against the action of their springs, the said plates beingdesigned to overlap against the lower side of the lowermost screenwhereby to out off the filtering devices from the lower end of thecasing and from the water-admission opening and flushopening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WENCESLAUS FRANK MIKOLASEK. [L s] Witnesses:

E. A. BoUsKA, FRANK TILAR.

